Costa Rica to Push English Comprehension in Schools

Costa Rica News – In San Jose, it may seem that most people speak English, but it’s not the case nationwide.

The National Household Survey of 2013 showed that just 15% of young adults are able to speak or write in English.

Since the public schools are teaching English from pre-kindergarten, that figure is alarming. The Ministry of Public Education is proposing to change the English program, which has remained the same for 10 years. In preparing the proposal for a new program, 500 people were tested to see what is missing from the existing program.

MEP’s new goals are focused on the possibility of students leaving school with a sufficient enough level of English to communicate verbally and through written messages such as texts independently.

The ministry sees that the program must go beyond the very basics so that students can use the language to solve daily problems and to get work. The approach would aim to promote skills holistically from the start.

Ideally, students will leave high school with an intermediate level and leave technical schools as independent speakers.